Missing Moments: A Tryptic
by Lizabethia
Summary: 3 ROTS "missing scenes" between Anakin and Padme. Sorta fluffy/romantic/angsty. PLS READ & REVIEW. Chapter 3 up 12/22. Writer looking for Beta.
1. Any Other Night

**Part I: Any Other Night**

_Any other night_, Senator Padme Naberrie Amadala would have long since retired to her private chambers with a pot of tea and only the latest war reports, bill proposals, and committee minutes to keep her company.

_Any other night_, Padme would have changed from her voluminous Senatorial wardrobe into a standard, plain sleeping shift designed for comfort and warmth. Functionality was what she needed most from a garment when she was alone in bed. Tonight, on the contrary, she had Motee' apply a fresh cosmetic application and assist her into a newly commissioned blue, shimmer-silk sleep dress; it had been accented with pearls at the shoulder. She noted those strands of pearls presently. _Yes, definitely form over function tonight, _she thought to herself.

_Any other night_, a handmaiden would answer the announcement chimes at 500 Republica. Its shimmering sound sent goose bumps up Padme's back in the penthouse's sitting room. She had dismissed her attendants over an hour ago and had sat there in anxious anticipation ever since.

He had promised to come to her as soon as possible. She understood that could mean before sunset, mid-night, or even in the early hours of the next morning. Jedi weren't exactly known for their transparency. _Especially her Jedi_.

The chimes went off again. Padme slowly pushed her swollen body off the seat and toddled over to the entryway. Her body asked for rest, but her heart buzzed with adrenaline enough to keep her alert through this late hour.

She lightly touched the entry pad. The door swung open to reveal the one she was waiting for. Anakin Skywalker, her husband, lover, and best friend stood opposite her. When their privacy was assured upon the closing of the door, Padme didn't hesitate to move to embrace him. Uncharacteristically, Anakin stepped back. She shot him a inquiring look from under a lifted brow on a face aglow with expectation.

Anakin pulled a bouquet of flowers from beneath his Jedi robes.

"For my Angel."

Padme beamed and readily accepted the exotic purple and orange arrangement. She cradled them in one arm and flung the other around his neck.

"They're beautiful," she breathed into his ear, his face touching hers.

"Not as beautiful as you, my love."

They stood there, holding each other, not caring that the flowers were now crushed between their bodies. Abruptly, he felt a warm, wet sensation on his check. It took him a moment to realize that his wife was weeping into his hair.

"Padme? Padme, what's wrong?" He gently rubbed the small of her back.

The tears continued to fall silently. He finally took the ruined flowers from her, laid them on an entryway table, and led his wife to a chaise in the sitting room. He tried to count the times he had witnessed his wife's tears. He had made her laugh until she cried on the field where they had picnic-ed on Naboo. She cried in happiness after their first intimacy of the marriage night. Those two times only he could recall her tears, and they were positive responses. He didn't need the Force to tell him these tears were different.

They sat towards each other, he looking down at her hands, she looking through the perma-glass windows unto the Coruscanti skyline. Slow, silent tears continued to drip down her flushed cheeks. Her unhappiness was killing him.

"Please, Padme, this is unbearable."

She inhaled deeply, "I'm sorry Ani. I….I was so unsure for so long. It's been almost five months since we've last been together," she shook her head and wiped her tears with her hand. "I didn't know how you would feel…what you would say…"

"About what?"

He squeezed her hands in his. He thought she was just as lovely even with those red, rimmed eyes.

She looked meaningfully down at her middle.

He instinctively took her face into his hands. "Padme, listen to me, I meant what I said. This is the happiest day of my life. Of my whole life. EVER."

Anakin enunciated his words vigorously. He needed her to believe him. He was slightly taken aback at her lack of faith in his devotion but followed up with a gentler tone, "I will do anything I need to do to protect you, to protect us. You are everything to me."

"But the conseque…"

Impassioned, he kissed her mid-sentence. Padme responded eagerly, begging his lips to end the worries that ate her up inside. The consequences would need to be weighed eventually, but she eagerly followed Anakin's lead and pushed them aside for any other night.

With his lips still touching hers he breathed, "Shhh, shhh, not now."

Anakin effortlessly lifted his love up and carried her to their bedroom. "Later…"

_Any other night_, Anakin would be alone in a military bunk on a some Force-foresaken Outer Rim planet. But not this night. He wasn't about to let the future hold sway over his present...she was far too precious.

With a small Force push, he closed the door, shutting out the galaxy for a little while longer.


	2. A Little Laugther

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, follows, and favorites! This was my first fan fiction I've ever posted and I was afraid I wouldn't get any at all : ) I'm very thankful for it's positive reception and will definitely continue this.

FYI I have updated Part I, just for small typos and I've edited some superfluous adjectives. This was un-Beta'd, so please forgive me. I'm still looking for a Beta, if anyone can help me please PM me! I'm looking to grow as a writer and I hope my subsequent works will reflect that but I need the help of others. I'm always up for helpful criticism by my readers too

So without further ado, here is part two (that rhymed, hehe)

-Liz

**Part II:**

Afterwards, Padmé rose to draw a bath. The last light of Coruscant Prime waned on the capitol city and while doing so, created an orange glow on the stone tiles that lined the walls of her adjoining wash chamber. The vibrant color reminded Padmé of the crushed flowers in the entryway so she retrieved them. Upon her return, she plucked the flattened petals and tossed them into the steaming washbasin. From atop of her vanity, she selected a glass flask and poured herbal oils into the water, creating a fragrant potion. The air became heavy and fragrant, but not oppressive. She bent slightly over the tub and breathed in the perfume.

_Perfect_, she thought. Her exhale released all remaining tension and qualms she kept inside.

Padmé's penthouse had always been at the height of style and luxury. The chambers served her Senatorial work well; they provided a confidential meeting space for small political conferences and conversations. She had received countless galactic representatives and politicians there over the years. For this reason, the space was styled to be intimate yet staunchly professional. Fiercely dedicated to her profession, Padme had never really given much thought to her own private chambers within the apartment. In fact, she spent the least of her time there, instead preferring late hours at her main office headquartered within the Senate building.

When Anakin came back into her life, and their subsequent clandestine marriage, her personal rooms took on the new role of romantic rendezvous site. 500 Republica quickly began to leave Padmé unsatisfied with its impersonal, nearly utilitarian atmosphere. Ever since, she had actively sought to tantalize Anakin with surprise additions to their sanctuary.

The veranda came first. A private landing platform was especially built for his starfighter. She had personally procured furnishings and art pieces reminiscent of Varykino to decorate the outdoor seating area. Along with the fountains, the soft draperies-they were all flourishes dedicated to transforming the practical space into an oasis for their passionate encounters.

Back in the bedroom, Anakin's senses were provoked by the heady smell wafting inside. He went to the washroom and leaned on the doorframe. His mechno-arm held a bustle of sheets together at his waist.

Anakin eyed his wife coyly. "You know…that looks big enough for two."

Padmé giggled in response to the mirth is his voice.

He of course was referring to the washbasin. It was her latest revision. Several months ago she had contracted it to be resized. This was the first time they could enjoy it together.

"You first," said Anakin. He stepped over to the basin indicating it to her with an outstretched hand.

"M'Lady…." He eyed her robe.

Padmé smirked playfully. She untied and dropped it, her eyes challenging his. She took Anakin's offered hand and he guided her down the stairs into the basin that had been elegantly engineered to be level within the polished stone floors of the room.

Anakin drank in the image of his wife. The last light of sunset illuminated what their darkened bedroom had not. Padmé was completely transformed. Physically, her small hips widened, curves spread apart, chest heavy, not to mention the bump below. Her body had rearranged itself to carry life. The reality that this life inside of her was half of him astonished Anakin. He became quiet in reverent worship.

The stillness of the moment allowed him to meditate on her presence absolutely. Interestingly, he noted that even her Force signature was different. It was undeniably weightier, more profound in the Force. Anakin had sensed earlier a disparity within her at their meeting in the Senate hanger. What he was ignorantly frightened of then, he now basked in by means of his full knowledge of her pregnancy.

He further encouraged Padmé's lone presence to swell within him. From their first encounter, proximity to her had produced a clarity and reassurance of which he had never been able to duplicate.

_He would do just about anything to guard their love.  
_

Once Anakin saw she was safely situated, he lowered his makeshift covering and stepped down into the tub with her.

Looking on, Padmé felt her chest tighten at the sight of his body bare. Three years of time and war had altered it in many ways. Anakin's once boyish, slender figure had broadened into a man's form, filled out with muscle and sinew. From it, she made mental note of the new scars he brought back to her, like sick souvenirs. The mark on his left highest rib was from an early campaign. It was one of the oldest and most faded. He got that jagged mark on his back from the Battle of Ohma-D'un. But the bright red blemish on his left thigh was new. Not to mention the loss of his limb on Geonosis. From its onset this war was literally ripping him apart. She knew there were scars inside of him that couldn't be seen too. Those were much harder to account for.

They sat in silence for while, letting the night finally swallow the room in darkness. The only light came from the Coruscant skyline and from several delicate candles haphazardly placed around the room. Enveloped in warm water, Padmé leaned against Anakin's chest. Her eyes closed as he absent-mindedly twisted wet tendrils of her hair.

For a while, there was nothing but unadulterated serenity between them.

"Tell me a story," asked a relaxed Anakin.

"A story?" Padmé retorted, amused. "What kind of story?"

"A story about us…or about you. Something I don't already know."

She smiled. Lovers' talk. She felt quite indulgent being able to partake in it. She waited a moment to fulfill his request.

"Hmmm…do you remember what I wore the night of our wedding?"

Anakins eyebrows went up. "Before or after the ceremony?" He kissed her neck lightly.

She pinched his leg in good-humor, disturbing the calm water with ripples. "Ha! My vow ceremony dress of course!"

He feigned innocence, "Oh, how could I forget?" They laughed together.

"Well, there's a story behind that veil I wore." She baited him with silence.

"Please feel free to proceed Senator," he mocked.

"Thank you, Jedi Skywalker." She played along. "When you escorted me from Coruscant back home to Naboo, I stayed in communication with the caretaker girls at the lake house during our travel. I requested they alter my great-grandmother's wedding gown for immediate use upon my return. It was located in one of Varykino's attics. I explained to them through an elaborate story that I was giving the dress away as a bridal present to a friend, someone that just happened to be around my height and size."

"Very sly of you. Go on…."

"But upon our arrival, I noticed the veil was missing. Apparently, some local insect had infested the attic and destroyed the fabric it was made out of. The original veil was beyond repair and was disposed of years ago. It's a Naboo tradition that a bride wear a veil."

"And you had one…" Anakin recalled.

"Yes, I was going to forgo the whole ritual until I found something at the retreat that would serve the same purpose." She dared him, "Guess!"

Anakin deliberated. Padmé turned around in the warm water to see his face. So much of their relationship had been build on gravity and thus she treasured these lighthearted moments. His thoughtful expression allowed her to easily envision the wheels turning in his head. They were both thoroughly enjoying their lovers' game.

"Hmmmm, an old scarf?"

She shook her head.

"I really can't imagine," supposed a defeated Anakin.

"Aren't Jedi's allegedly known for their problem solving abilities?" She was teasing him. "Well, do you recall the light streaming into the bedroom the morning after? It woke us up early. Those windows to the left of the bed…"

It was a clue Anakin quickly retrieved. He cut her off.

"Ahhh ha! The missing drapes!" He laughed. "I can see it in the HoloNet news now." He deepened his voice like a media caricature, "'Naboo Senator Wears Curtains to Secret Wedding!'" She laughed giddily. He kissed her cheek in amusement. "Brilliant. I say we leak the story ourselves, it may even overshadow the whole marrying a Jedi Padawan thing…"

Despite the gravity of his comment, they laughed together for a long time.

"It feels good to laugh," Anakin stated as he caught his breath. "I haven't laughed in so long…"

"Neither have I."

Author's Note

**This story was inspired by a couple of things:**

1. I read somewhere that the costume team found a lace tablecloth that they turned into Padme's wedding dress for Episode II. The inspiration that her wedding outfit could have been made from something so menial was humorous to me (I'm an apparel designer by day so that intrigued me)

2. If you've ever read the unabridged script to Revenge of the Sith, you may remember that the (horrible) balcony scene between Anakin and Padme ended with the last two lines from this story (Lucas' writing). I thought they were really nice lines that should not have been cut in the editing room.

But of course, all rights to George Lucas : ) Just playing in the sandbox: )


	3. Uninvited Guest

Set after Anakin's nightmare ROTS

* * *

**PART III – Uninvited Guest**

_ "Our baby is a blessing not a curse."_

Padmé sighed as they embraced. She whole-heartedly agreed with Anakin. Though they had never dared speak of the possibility of children, what was more natural, more right, than a married couple expecting a youngling together? Nevertheless, his statement had come out in such an aggressive tone, she could not help but feel unnerved. A marriage was supposed to be built on faith and trust-in each other, in their love, and in the future. All she could feel raditating from Anakin was confusion, anger, and meloncholy.

_But where was his faith? Had this dream swallowed it up in one large gulp? Or had the war been slowly chipping it away these last three years?_ Padmé thought.

_Perhaps it was never there._ She brushed that last possibility away before really choosing to considerate it fully.

Padmé was no Jedi but she sensed her husband's utter devastation. All her diplomatic training, her schooling in interpersonal protocol and crisis management had not prepared her for this…how could it? Anakin predicted his mother's endangerment and ultimate death with the same visions and now they had returned, haunting him once more and dooming her.

Was the Force so cruel to burden again? She recalled being together years ago on Naboo, listening to his midnight cries from the nearby bedchamber, wishing she could go to him. _Your presence is soothing, _he had told her that next morning, making her feel all the worse for not coming and relieving him sooner.

Reminded of this, she clutched Anakin's sweltering body closer to her cool skin, willing her spirit to seep into his. His breathing and heart-rate seemed to be slowing yet she felt his back muscles involuntarily spasming beneath her finger tips. Despite their proximity it seemed she could do nothing to ease his pain. Truly nothing. Her words of encouragement, her embrace, even her presence seemed to do little to quench the fire that was threatening to burn him up. Padmé wracked her brain for helpful advice but to no avail. She remembered how he had lashed out when she brought up Obi-Wan. She felt more helpless and useless then she could ever remember.

They eventually let go of their hold on each other. A cool burst of air swept through the veranda and Padmé hugged her bare arms, fighting back tears of frustration. Instinctively, Anakin removed his cloak and covered her shoulders protectively.

_If only it was as simple to save her as it was to protect her from the evening chill_, he mused.

They somberly made their way back up the stairs, to the bedroom, and into their bed. Anakin seethed. Once this had been the safest, purest place to him in the whole galaxy. Their marriage bed was his favorite place to be with his most cherished person. Now it was forever tainted, laden with ambiguity and anxiety. He felt as if there could be no more happiness, no more kisses, no more laughter there, not tonight at least. There also would be no more sleep for him there either. He couldn't risk the vision's return.

Instead, Anakin took a hold of Padmé and reverently cradled her body into his. She returned to sleep quickly, and for his distraction he counted her breaths while watching her stomach rise and fall…1…2…3. Each release of air only served to gnaw at him further. Every transient breath brought Padmé closer to her death or salvation.

Anakin and Padmé laid together like that for the rest of the night, but unbeknowest to them there was an uninvited guest present.

The guest had always been with Anakin, even from a young age. It bode it's time, reared it's ugly head on occasion, only dampened by continual Jedi guidance and meditation.

Yet it had stayed inside him, nested, mutated, and multiplied over the years.

Neither of them knew it, but that night this guest had penetrated Anakin's heart deeper and deadlier than a lightsaber ever could. A great war had be raged in his heart and the causalities were immense.

Tonight Anakin's visions had fed it a grand feast and finally, **Fear** had gathered enough strength to consume its host.

_Fin_

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I want to thank everyone who read this and especially my reviewers **QueenYoda**,** ambre**,** Diz**,** Nowa1**, **Akiko88**,** froovygirl**, and **sharp52092!** Your sweet encouragement and enjoyment kept me going and I'm so proud to have finished my first story! I lean towards vignette's and missing moments so expect more of the same ; )


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